Digital Learning Day is about giving every child the opportunity to learn in a robust digital environment everyday, with the goal of success in college and a career. We urge you to make a difference with digital learning in America's schools and take the pledge to support the effective use of technology to improve education for all students.

Co-Host comedian Elsa Waithe

All talent welcome!

$5 entry charge with free drink

$3 wine and beer

Jerk chicken on the menu

Jewelry sold and made by VictoyaVenise and Lovely's chaos

There will be a  $5 raffle!!! The prize is a first generation iPod touch (head phones , case and charger included)

**For personal inquires, questions, & to sign up for a performance slot, please email [email protected]

After leaving college to pursue music full-time, Illi first made noise in 2008, releasing his first solo project Inhale Part 1: State Representative, while simultaneously releasing a music video for his single, One Love. Just one year later in the summer 2009, Illi released his second mix-tape. The critically acclaimed follow-up, Inhale Part 2: Loyalty Before the Love, he showed amazing lyrical growth and overall progression as an artist. The release of his highly anticipated third mix-tape Inhale Part 3: After School Program, the streets and Internet really tuned in to watch Illi show no signs in slowing down. He continued to give his fan based what they wanted and needed, so with the release of his final installment of his mix-tapes, Inhale Part 4: Horai, The Boy Illinois stands poised, yet patient, and ready to solidify himself as a musical force in hip hop. 
Now Illi is back with another hard and raw installment in his journey to be placed rightfully amongst the heavy hitters in this WINDY CITY with, The Memoirs of Gilbert Gaston. With his brand new single, the Chicago native lets us know he isn’t trying to Say 2 Much, except here I am.

Toronto-born, buffalo-bred; Blake Carrington hits the refresh button on the current international Hip Hop scene. Combining his soulful delivery with cleverly crafted lines, he creates heart felt, socially conscious & driven songs to musical compositions that are out of this world. He is an ambitious urban musician failing forward, and making his dreams become a reality. He began rapping at an early age, with a close example in his bloodline, his father, a well-respected hip-hop legend from Buffalo, NY by the name of Dedot; and it is quite apparent that the apple did not fall too far from the tree. After graduating Seneca College in Toronto, Ontario with a diploma in Independent Music Production, Blake took his dreams and passion to a new level.

Released in the summer of 2011, his Dare 2 Dream project, which he created with his super producer friend Ric Notes, was the culmination of many years of hard work and training, and proved to be an international success for Blake and a significant milestone in this young veteran’s musical career.

Blake’s talents have taken him all across the globe, from winning at the world famous Apollo theatre showcase twice to touring in Tokyo, Japan, to sharing stages with the likes of hip-hop legends in every metropolis city in North America. He has shown just how much persistence and hard work it takes to follow your dreams, even when life happens. Blake’s high energy and charismatic personality has led him to recording, performing and sharing the stage with the music industries elite such as Talib Kweli to Snoop Dogg to his current super-star peers from Drake to Kendrick Lamar, & even cross genre electronic acts such as The Far East movement. As the list continues to grow, Blake continues uphold his reputation as a well-respected artist amongst his industry peers. Not stopping there, Carrington's ability to go after what he wants has opened up various tour opportunities on many of the nation’s most popular concert circuits, ranging from: Sneaker Pimps, SXSW (South By South West), Power 106 Concert series, NXNE (North By North East), Manifesto Festival, The Dope House concert series (2DopeBoyz), Power House, and the list goes on.

So while many play catch-up with his futuristic style, Blake Carrington the “Gentleman on Mars”, is ready to win the race

Beat Wizard. Rap Marauder. 
The Dallas, TX, native prides himself on being innovative, original, and clever with his production. Blue has been respected as a top tier beat-smith for years, composing tracks for the likes of Kendrick Lamar ("P&P", "P&P 1.5", & "Faith"}, Schoolboy Q (To Tha Beat), Ab-Soul (Mixed Emotions), and Mac Miller (Down The Rabbit Hole). 
Looking to expand his sound, The Misfit decided to channel his creative energy into songwriting, which ultimately lead into him becoming a daring artist. 
whether it's care free living, crooning with a drunken stupor, or wearing his emotions on his sleeves, Blue's approach is strictly based on the deeper facets of his life. Keeping his unpredictable beats and feelings in sync with every track despite the subject. 
Blue looks to be a the dark horse in the hip-hop industry with his debut full length album, "Child In The Wild" due in early 2014. 
Blue is also a member and founder of the uprising BRAIN GANG collective.

They say you never forget your first love and when Mack Wilds first fell in love, he fell hard. “It’s so dirty, disgusting and gritty, but it’s so beautiful,” the 24-year old singer says of his native New York City; the inspiration for his debut LP New York: A Love Story. 
Tristan Paul Mack Wilds is best known for his acting roles as Michael Lee and Dixon Wilson on HBO’s “The Wire” and CW’s “90210” respectively, but before he hit Hollywood, Wilds dreamed of a career in music. “I don’t remember a time in my life when music wasn’t a factor in my life,” the Staten Island product says. “I was immersed in what music was in the ’90s. Everything we heard in hip-hop, I could look outside of my window in the projects and see it going on.” 
Growing up, Mack saw his father sing in local bands. He looked to follow in his dad’s footsteps by practicing around their home in Stapleton housing projects, the same housing projects that produced numerous members of Wu-Tang Clan. Wilds’ earliest music influences were Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, but he also took to hip-hop idolizing MCs like Jay-Z and Nas. 
At around the age of 13, after puberty hit, Mack noticed his voice began to change and he then added rapping to his repertoire. “The music has always been my first love,” he says, even though his teenage years were spent acting on television and in films like 2008’s “The Secret Life of Bees” with Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning and in 2012’s “Red Tails” alongside Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Terrence Howard. 
“Even with all of the accomplishments, I still feel like I haven’t scratched the surface of where I’m supposed to be,” Mack says. 
To further his career and dreams Mack released a free-seven song EP Remember Remember in 2011. The next year he hooked up with Grammy Award-winning music producer Salaam Remi and signed with his Sony-distributed Remi Fa record label. Together the two recorded New York: A Love Story, a 1990s hip-hop-centered, R&B-laced tale of love and loss. 
The album’s first single “Own It” is produced by Salaam and written by Mack and R&B superstar Ne-Yo. Backed by the same drum track that drove Eric B. & Rakim’s hip-hop classic “Eric B. is President,” “Own It” finds Mack whispering sweet nothings to his dream girl with promises of a lavish life. 
The flirtatious “Henny” samples from Mobb Deep’s NYC classic “The Learning (Burn),” while the seductive “My Crib” borrows from Jay-Z’s DJ-friendly “You, Me, Him and Her.” While New York: A Love Story weaves a romantic tale, sonically it’s a nostalgic reminder of the Big Apple’s most defining sounds– suited for 2013 of course. 
Aside from Salaam, celebrated NY beat architects DJ Premier, Pete Rock and Havoc also lend their production efforts. Mack of course adds flowing harmonies over the pounding tracks. “The main thing that we wanted to do with this album is show that New York City is back and who better to do it than the people who made it what it is in the first place,” he says of being able to work with such an esteemed team of producers. 
“This is that full-on, old school, New York, boom bap that we’ve been waiting for. This sound isn’t just old school, this is what is in our blood. It’s bigger than a ’90’s feel, this is New York.”

From the UK via Liberia, Nigeria and Scotland, Young Fathers have pursued a unique trajectory, from mid-teen hip hop trio via psych-pop rap to where they are now, on their own original island thrown up by a pop volcano, tectonic plates of genres rubbing up against each other like under-sea dirty party-people; seams of molten pop history spewing lava more fertile than guano, upon which the rich foliage of hook, rhythm and bass grow immodestly in the sun.

Along the way, they have dropped pearls: Straight Back On It, from their unreleased debut album Inconceivable Child... Conceived, is the telescoping of Tommy Boy into the 21st century. Featured performances with Simian Mobile Disco and Stanton Warriors gave glimpses of the kind of light bulb shattering energy they are capable of. Several tours, many festivals, honing a live presence which often looked like the vision of a boy band through the bottom of a glass of crystal meth.

Finally, having left their original production company and moved out on their own, Young Fathers dropped their first mixtape/mini album at the end of 2011. TAPE ONE showed them in a darker place, a natural pop progression, the kind documented in the David Essex films, That'll Be The Day and Stardust, reaching shamanistic levels of call, response, lyrical invocations. Wildly urban.

Signing to American west coast pulse-finder label, Anticon in 2012 they released TAPE TWO, even dirtier and louder than TAPE ONE (of course!) but also its natural side two. With tracks like Queen Is Dead (which had the honour of being temporarily 'banned by the BBC' - literally, 'in case the Queen of Britain died') tapping into a Swazi initiation ceremony cut up by Gyson's scissors, to I Heard, full of that sweet, soul pain, holding hands with Curtis and Marvin over a dystopic beatbox.

2013 saw them venture to America, a natural target, where they mystified and blew away jaded SXSW regulars, then more tours around Europe and the UK, each time touching a few more innocents, passing through Reading and Leeds and creating thunder at the In The Woods festival.

Here they are then, alternating spells in the basement creating with alchemy massive bass on sheets of flash and mantronik steel, forged in an African fire, their new full length album entitled DEAD, due out on Anticon and Big Dada in the new year.

Loquacious Alloysious Massaquoi, lithe and graceful on stage, can take it from down and dirty to beatified choir boy in a musical phrase; growling and whispering 'G', gazing into the spotlight, transfixed by his own rhythms, pleading with the crowd to just, get it; exploding Kayus, whose overproof rapping can rip holes in walls without a microphone, hinting at dark deeds known and done, Ole Dirty Bastard's bastard son.

A stream of self-conceived and directed videos, a tie-in with Ch4 and Lemonade Money for the short films broadcast in 2013 featuring them and their music, hosting a friday night tombstone slot through October on BBC R1xtra, curating a monthly night in Glasgow at Broadcast (Back Off Devil), this plus upcoming tours of France, where TAPE TWO has been greeted with the classic Gallic understanding of all things dark-rocknroll (where Jim Morrison is apparently buried), touring the UK and the rest of Europe in the new year, all means that Young Fathers will hardly have time to think, let alone roam the gothic streets of old Edinburgh, hanging with friends.

They are committed, on course, irrefutably aligned with the stars, set to sail the globe like a ghost ship, bringing dread and joy to safe harbours and dangerous docks. Traveling with sails tattered and billowing from a mistral, channeled from the west coast of Africa to the east and the north of Britain, unfettered and multinational. Without passports.

Success doesn't come easily for anybody. Since day one, persistence has been the name of the game for Bay Area rapper Sage The Gemini.

When he made the decision to rap, nobody would help him. He’d bring rhymes to his peers for beats, and no one jumped at the chance to collaborate. So, he went even harder and he did everything himself. By the age of 14, he had taught himself how to create beats, produce, and even mix and master. He’d become a wholly self-sufficient artist before tenth grade. Now 21, he recalls, “All I cared about was music. I would stay up all night working on tracks and go to school tired. It didn’t matter. I wanted to be heard.”

Inspired by everyone from Chris Brown and Usher to Jay-Z and Pharrell, he studied various genres inside and out. That determination and dedication eventually yielded a viral sensation.

In 2008, he dropped his first online track "You Should Know" on MySpace. It became a viral hit, generating over three million views and buzzing amongst listeners worldwide. Joining up with the famed crew HBK Gang, the Bay Area began to embrace him as he performed countless gigs, developed a local presence, and honed a sound of his own.

"Musically, it's a mixture of everything," he explains. "It's like going to McDonalds and pouring every drink in one cup. I want to start my own genre—like a crossover of R&B and Bay Area party hip-hop."

That crossover revs up on "Gas Pedal." This smash hit switches lanes between a club-ready beat and a swaggering hook. Sage's smooth flow coasts alongside a slick verse from HBK's Iamsu.

He continues, "It's a dancing song. I like to keep the violence to a minimum. Dancing helps kids in a big way that no one wants to pay attention to. If they're dancing, it's all good. I grew up listening to Iamsu. To have him on there is a blessing."

The song attracted Republic Records who inked a deal with him in 2013. Then, as part of the EP of the same name, "Gas Pedal" sped toward the top online and at radio, reaching #5 on the Billboard Hip-Hop Chart and racking up over 12 million YouTube/VEVO views. At the same time, countless fans uploaded their own takes on the song to both YouTube and Vine, making the impact simply seismic. Cumulatively, there are over 110 million viral views fueled by this immense audience response without radio. It also serves as a gateway to his forthcoming full-length debut album for the label.

Another banger "Red Nose" wiggles from an unshakable chorus and a massive groove, becoming an anthem in its own right. It showcases just how clever he really is too. "I wanted to say something that means 'ass-shaking' without simply saying it," he grins. "That's where the comparison to a red nose pit bull came from."

Ultimately though, everything about Sage stands out. Producing and writing, he architects his own vision completely from the music to the rhymes. Now, he's speeding towards the top.

"I want people to feel like they can live with me through the music," he concludes. "It's about having a good time together. The album's going to have turn-up and party songs as well some more emotional moments. It's everything, and everyone is welcome along for the ride."

Corey Paul and Ronnie "Reconcile" Lillard established Frontline Movement to aide and disciple at risk teens, women, and men who’ve been influenced by unreached socio-economical backgrounds and/or 
have made negative decisions that altered their role in society. We exist to reach these at risk teens, women, and men in the heart of inner cities by spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the culture of Hip Hop. We aim to provide a way of refuge in hopes to inspire a life changing decision that will resonate forever. Artistically, we display issues that many youth and young adults face today by: 1) creating culturally relevant content, 2) Taking one step forward by “Giving them Jesus in unconventional packaging”, in providing Christ-centered solutions that can be applied, 3) spreading hope through 
Jesus Christ at venues such as, but are not limited to: churches, detention centers, group homes, and prisons. 
Reconcile has released a FREE Album entitled, "Abandoned Hope" and Corey Paul has released a mixtape series entitled, "7:30 AM" which are available at www.FrontlineMovement.com. In addition, Corey Paul released his debut album July 30, 2013 entitled, "Grace Love Mercy" which is available on iTunes now.

As one of the most celebrated auteurs of his generation of hip-hop artists, Black Milk has conditioned fans and critics to expect the unexpected with each release. Few producers have earned the notoriety and respect he has as a musician, and when that is coupled with commanding talent as an emcee, it’s no surprise that his solo releases are met with exalted anticipation. The new full-length album No Poison No Paradise continues Black’s trend of releasing material that maintains his signature sound while pushing it into new territory.

With more than a decade of industry experience and a rich catalog of recordings, Black Milk has transitioned from one of hip-hop’s young rising stars to a veteran with a uniquely well-rounded pedigree. After scoring his first production credit for Slum Village as a teenager in 2002, he eventually worked closely with the group and co-produced much of their two following albums. While producing prolifically for much of the Detroit underground, including J Dilla, Phat Kat, and Proof, he also started to record solo material showcasing already-polished skills on the mic. His self-released full-length release Sound of the City in 2005 led to his first record deal, and he began to gain international attention for the soul-sample driven style on his proper solo debut Popular Demand, released in March 2007.

With the release of his next album Tronic in October 2008, he began to receive acclaim that extended beyond the hip-hop niche from which he emerged. While his sample-heavy style was still on display in his prolific outside production work, Tronic flexed a more musical approach with layered live instrumentation, vintage synthesizers, and sprawling extended outros, further establishing him as a skilled producer rather than just a beatmaker. The growth in musicality was not just reflected in his studio recordings, as he began touring with a live band and proved to be just as capable of wowing crowds at European jazz festivals as he was at packed hip-hop clubs.

2010′s Album of the Year followed down the same path with diverse influences, more instrumentation, and an even more progressive sound. Black also continued to get better and more thematically versatile as an emcee. After more than 100 shows worldwide in support of the release, Black became one of the most revered and acclaimed live acts in hip-hop, even releasing a live album on Jack White’s label Third Man Records. Black also released a collaborative single with White in 2011, as well as an eponymous full-length, self-titled album with his group Random Axe (Black Milk, Sean Price and Guilty Simpson) and an EP with rising star Danny Brown titled Black and Brown.

With his latest release No Poison No Paradise, Black Milk continues the trend of keeping one foot dipped in classical boom-bap and the other stomping with a fierce originality and willingness to expand his listeners’ sonic palate. Some tracks showcase the raw sample-driven styles that helped make him one of Detroit’s hottest young talents nearly a decade ago. Others flex some of the sophistication and musicality that have become his hallmarks as an artist. Whichever direction he decides to take it, all of the trademark characteristics of Black’s music are fully apparent throughout the album: hard drums, melodic synths, nimble flows.

Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of No Poison No Paradise is the evolution of Black Milk’s lyrical style. While he’s never been shy to get personal on the mic, Black introduces a refined story-telling ability, mostly told through the dreams of a character named Sonny Jr. The album’s songs are steeped in autobiographical themes and construct rich and visceral imagery of everything from the experience of growing up in a rough working-class neighborhood to the struggles of maintaining one’s inspiration and success as an artist. Even with his lyrical progression, Black’s rap styles are unquestionably sharper and more varied than ever.

No Poison No Paradise is another accomplished full-length solo release for Black Milk and a return to form for one of hip-hop’s most versatile talents. Among the album’s featured guest appearances are Grammy-Award winners Black Thought (The Roots), Robert Glasper, and Dwele.

One of the first female MCs to bless the mic with lyrics that embodied both piercing sexuality and brutal storytelling, Memphis' Lola "Gangsta Boo" Mitchell exploded onto the music scene as one of the original members and lone female star of the Academy Award-winning, hardcore-rap group Three 6 Mafia. Her hyperactive flow on the 1997 hit single "Tear Da Club Up" mirrored the skittering drum patterns firing off in the background, showcasing her ability to hold her own amongst a band of bad boys and garnering the MC her own diehard fan base. She helped skyrocket Three 6 Mafia's success into the multi-platinum stratosphere, evident on the 2000 LP, When The Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1. In 1998, Gangsta Boo released her debut solo album Enquiring Minds. It reached #15 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and #46 on the Billboard 200, and spawned the club anthem "Where Dem Dollas At." Enquiring Minds found Gangsta Boo tackling unorthodox and taboo subject matter usually reserved for her male counterparts. From sex to drugs, the Queen of Memphis not only blazed a trail for future Femcees -- she also helped put Memphis on the Hip-Hop map. In 2001, she unveiled her sophomore effort Both Worlds *69, which reached #8 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart and #29 on the Billboard 200. Her third solo project Enquiring Minds II: Soap Opera was released in 2003 under her own label, Crazy Lady Entertainment, which also marked the beginning of her fruitful MC-Producer relationship with Drum Squad CEO Drumma Boy.

After parting ways with Three 6 Mafia in 2004, the established raptress was tapped by every major artist in Hip-Hop. She collaborated with Lil jon & The Eastside Boyz on the multi-platinum disc Crunk Juice on the underground track "Da Blow." She has also been featured on the albums of Outkast (Stankonia), Ludacris (Disturbing The Peace), and Pastor Troy (Tool Musiq). She has treated listeners to a string of mixtapes over the years to stay on fans' minds. On her latest mixtape, Forever Gangsta, the veteran lyricist evokes every emotion from cries to crunkness. The follow-up installment Forever Gangsta, Part 2 drops in 2013. Her crossover appeal was confirmed when Alabama-bred rapper Yelawolf tapped her for his single "Throw It Up" from his critically hailed album Radioactive. Gangsta Boo does what she does best, rhyming at a rapid-fire pace over a drama-filled beat contrasting perfectly with Yelawolf and guest-feature Eminem's Tazmanian Devil flows.

Don't be surprised to find the Gangsta straddling the fence of Hip-Hop and Hipster music. Her passion for making great art keeps her from being stuck in a box. From wanting to perform with a live band to her continued work with Drumma Boy and Drum Squad, she fully embraces change.

"I'm still the same Gangsta Boo I was when I first came out, but I was before my time back then. I feel like who I am now as an artist and a person has finally caught up with what's going on in music now."

Name: Trouble

Age: 23

Reppin’: Duct Tape Da Mobb…Edgewood, Zone 6

My style and/or skills have been compared to: Jay-Z, Drake, the old B.G., Tip, Kanye, Soulja Slim, Boosie Bad Azz

I started rapping: When I was 14

My standout records and/or moments have been: Every record I drop and every moment I’m out is a standout moment…

I’m gonna change the game by: Gettin’ these pussy niggas out the way and bringing reality back to the music…

I’d Like to Work With: Boosie, DMX, Eminem, Jadakiss, Drake, Scarface, 2Pac, Trey Songz, Chris Brown

My goal in hip-hop is: To be me, and rape the game in the process.

I’m gonna be the next: No one. I’m the first and only Trouble.

While a great artist's music can tell most of their story, there are always details that take time to work their way into the fabric of songs and become synonymous with the personas that capture fans.

Devin Miles' musical journey has just begun, but he's already figuring out how to tap into his particular perspective to bring elements other rappers might not imagine. Devin lives for creation.

Whether sitting at the piano–the instrument his played since an early age, turning the heads of friends and family who inspired him to pursue music–or studying Renaissance art, Devin's days are full of unexpected creative forces. While some rappers might dream of hopping on stage with their chart-topping idols, Devin would rather the impossible chance to bring out Ray Charles and jam on the keys.

His music serves up the crossroads of influences, reflecting the current landscape while allowing Devin's smooth flow, particular musicality, casual cool, and still-developing story to shine through.

This imagination and eclectic perspective–born in a household where music of all types was a constant factor–are the fuel that feed Devin's artistic growth.

Though his hometown Pittsburgh doesn't possess the storied hip-hop history of some of America's other big metropolises, its recent string of successes in building stars through the independent grind has prepared the 22-year-old for the work necessary to rise from internet buzz to real world notoriety.

He might not be able to resurrect Ray, but Devin is well on his way to leaving a mark on independent hip-hop and climbing to heights beyond the confines of any one genre.

"The East Oakland backpacker crew are members of the loose underground hip-hop consortium known as Hieroglyphics. The group consists of four erudite but hardcore MCs: A-Plus, Phesto, Opio and Tajai. Their debut album in 1993, '93 Til Infinity, produced an early-'90s anthem of the same name and spawned a movement towards bohemian yet rugged hip-hop. The crew drew comparisons to De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest for their abstract, whimsical style of storytelling. '93 Til was a youthfully impressionistic album echoing jazz and funk influences combined with precocious lyrical gestures. Such tracks as "That's When Ya Lost" and "Never No More" were memorable for their lyrics and feel alike. Two years later, SOM shucked off their reputation for their sophomore release, No Man's Land, a derisive and brash departure from '93 Til. While the crew lost some fans who were looking for a '95 Til, they managed to cultivate a loyal fan base who respected their out on a limb artistic development. Rather than sticking to the formula that made them popular with the college hip-hop set, they chose to shatter their image similar to De La Soul's second album De La Soul Is Dead. Their Northern California mindset combines chaos, danger, and the avant-garde, all from a very intellectual B-Boy perspective. The crew dropped the virtually invisible Focus strictly for web heads in 1999, then returned with Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution, another dark, trippy, and brooding exploration in 2000."

Dorrough Music is a new Southern hip-hop legend hailing from Dallas, Texas. With his undeniably catchy hooks and Southern bass, he controls the reigns of Texas hip-hop in the industry. Dorrough Music made the term 'yeah buddy' a household phrase from his platinum selling record 'Ice Cream Paint Job'. He has continuously put out more banging records that are played across the US and especially in his 2nd home, California

G.T. Garza hails from a city that has produced some of hip-hops brightest stars, and is quickly gaining a name for himself as Houston’s next big Hip Hop star. Born in San Diego, California he moved to Houston at the age of five. At the age of 14 as a freshman in high school, he was inspired to stop listening to hip-hop and start creating it. Garza began to develop his own style and broke ground battle rapping in various Bars and Clubs. Once he perfected his style, he took his chances at the 2002 Import Expo. 
Garza caught the eye and recognized by the Houston radio group “The Choppaholix," who then recruited him to represent the new era of hip-hop in Texas. With names such as "The Phenom," “The One Man Army," and "The Future," this young star is rapidly on the rise. His unmistakable flow and style even landed him a spot on an exclusive H-Town Remix of Ashanti's "Still on It" alongside Paul Wall, and the remix to Chris Brown's "Run It" which both hit heavy rotation on FM dials throughout the southwestern and western parts of the United States. 
With many victories under his belt, including "Road to the Apollo" sponsored by Footaction and Adidas, as well as "The Sunkist Sound Lab" sponsored by Sunkist. Garza is no stranger to the grind. With his hard work and dedication he has made his name well known in the Houston area by appearing on shows, such as the Choppaholix XM radio show, Texas FM radio shows and many mixtape features. His first major mixtape release "Maverick Music" earned him the respect of his peers and his fans. 
Working under his own independent label, The Machine, Garza is constantly grinding his gears trying to make the transition from underground to mainstream. He has been offered several deals by record labels in Houston but has turned them down in hope of something more. His ultimate goal is to be wearing a Houston T-shirt while accepting a Grammy. With his incomparably unique style and hard work ethic, if anyone has a shot at doing so, it’s Garza. If you see him out somewhere, he will undoubtedly have his headphones on listening to new beats while penciling down lyrics. With 11 mixtapes under his belt and more than 50 features, he knows what needs to be done to reach his goals. 
Currently, Garza is working hard on projects with Trakksounds, 3Fifty7 and more. In an effort to create a larger fan base, he will be producing more albums, music videos, and shows than in the past. From the streets to the booth, Garza can bring the heat on a beat and is truly next in line to rise from the South.

The Hip Hop Entrepreneurial Spirit affectionately known as "The Hustle" has elevated Hip Hop from a back room subculture to a world changing phenomenon.

Breakbeats, once only heard on underground mix-tapes now provide the literal baseline for commercials, advertising every product from soft drinks to aspirin.

Hip Hop artists not only headline sold-out concerts at Madison Square Gardens, but also feature films replete with A-list actors, and their own film and tech companies.

At the heart of this invasion of mainstream is the irrepressible, resourceful, and often underestimated, "original hustler," the Hip Hop Executive.

Attend this panel discussion to learn how the pioneers of the executive hustle brought their unique culture to boardroom, impacting the world in the process and how to successfully apply their time-tested principles to any worthy endeavor.

Sol is a hip hop artist from Seattle, Washington, whose understated lyrics, exuberant performances, and diverse instrumentation have solidified him among the leaders of the northwest music scene. 2012 marked a transcendent year for Sol’s career, starting with the highly anticipated independent album Yours Truly (1/20/12), which quickly rose to #1 on iTunes US Hip-Hop Chart (#4 worldwide) and debuted on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart. Following a west coast tour, as well as performances before a ruckus crowd at Live Nation’s Sasquatch Music Festival and a sold out farewell show at Seattle’s Showbox at the Market, Sol left the United States on a ten month globe-trotting hiatus as part of the Bonderman Honors Travel Fellowship he was awarded at the University of Washington. Ten months and ten countries later, Sol returned to the United States, evolved and inspired. Now equipped with a world of perspective, Sol is ready to share his newest project, Eyes Open, available now.

BIO

It’s not often that you’d expect to find the bass-heavy sounds of urban London and the rhythmic beats of Nigeria sitting together on a track, but if there is one MC who’s not shying away from doing exactly that, then look no further than Afrikan Boy.

Born Olushola Ajose in southeast London to Nigerian parents, it’s not hard to spot the impact his Nigerian heritage and British upbringing has had. Fusing together his passion for grime, rap and afrobeat with a love for a good hook, Afrikan Boy is steadily carving out his own niche in the MC circle. With a self assured style - custom ankara threads and the obligatory pair of trendy kicks are staple part of his wardrobe - his lyrics are as dynamic as his musical tastes, citing everyone from Fela Kuti, Shina Peters and King Sunny Ade to 2Pac and Dizzee Rascal as influences.

Following the release of his first mixtape ‘What Took You So Long’, Afrikan Boy continued to captivate audiences with the punchy freestyle ‘Look At Me Now’ featuring Boya D, the ‘Pon Pon Remix’ (a tribute to the late Nigerian artist Dagrin) and the chilled out sounds of ‘Dissertation’. After a break from music to complete his university degree, AB showed no sign of slowing down the pace.

Already championed by the likes of DJ Semtex (BBC Radio 1/ 1Xtra), The Guardian, 
Wonderland, Afrikan Boy is a firm favourite among industry heavyweights. It was the grime infused ‘One Day I Went To Lidl’, a humorous ode to the discount supermarket, that caught the ear of underground fans and fellow British rapper and Grammy Award nominee, M.I.A, that soon led to guest appearances on the ‘Paper Planes’ remix and ‘Hussel’ on her ‘Kala’ album as well as a stint on both the ‘Kala’ and ‘People vs. Money’ world tours.

A collaboration with US hip hop veteran DJ Shadow on ‘I’m Excited’ once again created the chance for Afrikan Boy to push his experimental boundaries, a feat that didn’t go unnoticed by BBC Radio 1 aficionado, Zane Lowe who crowned it ‘Hottest Record In The World’.

Afrikan Boy joined the prestigious ‘Africa Express’ 8 cities summer tour of the UK as part of the London 2012 cultural Olympics, where he shared the stage with the likes of the legendary Femi Kuti, Baaba Maal, Damon Albarn, Rizzle Kicks, The Noisettes, Fatoumata Diawara, Mark Ronson, Spoek Mathambo and Paul McCarthy to name but a few, as he continues to make his presence felt on the live circuit.

In early 2013 another heavy collaboration with Danish super producers Silver Bullit saw Afrikan Boy as main guest artist on all tracks by on a project called ‘Afrikans in Denmark’ The 5 track EP already getting another step forward for what he coins the Afro-grime movement.

Afrikan Boy is now busy wrapping up his highly anticipated debut LP, ‘AB CD’ due for release on Yam Records Spring 2014. In the meantime you can catch him on his latest Single ‘Hit Em Up’ which samples the great FelaKuti’s 1965 track Wa dele wa royin’

Gbosa!

Links 
www.AfrikanBoy.com / www.twitter.com/AfrikanBoy /www.facebook.com/Afrikanboy

Bling: A Planet Rock (87 min.)--by Washington Heights-based filmmaker, writer, and journalist Raquel Cepeda--is a feature documentary about American hip-hop's obsession with diamonds and how that has played a significant role in the 10-year civil war in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The term “bling” refers to the shine emanating from polished diamonds that represent the status symbol for hip-hop luminaries and fans alike. Bling: A Planet Rock follows three hip-hop artists--Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan), Paul Wall, and Puerto Rican emcee and activist Tego Calderon--who visit the capital of Freetown and Kono where they survey the devastated country, meet the hip-hop community, as well as encounter refugees and former child soldiers first hand. Former child soldier and international bestselling author Ishmael Beah (A Long Way Gone) returns to Sierra Leone for the first time since escaping the war and reveals how hip-hop literally saved his life. djalirancher.com (Catch Raquel Cepeda on March 20th at Word Up, for the paperback release of her memoir Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina.) Projections is Word Up's winter series of film screenings with local filmmakers and neighborhood collaborators.

$350 VIP Tickets include an autographed SMS Street by 50 On Ear Headphones No Refunds

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ADULT / VIP: Tickets on sale from Nov 5, 2013 8:59 PM EST to Dec 20, 2013 7:00 PM EST
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